Sartor Resartus · Chapter
III: Reminiscences explained
The Editor reflects on his acquaintance with Professor Teufelsdröckh, describing his quiet, self-contained life in Weissnichtwo, his unexpected publication on clothes, and his enigmatic character.
What happens
The Editor reflects on his acquaintance with Professor Teufelsdröckh, describing his quiet, self-contained life in Weissnichtwo, his unexpected publication on clothes, and his enigmatic character. He recalls Teufelsdröckh's toast to 'The Cause of the Poor' at the Grüne Gans coffeehouse, and notes the difficulty of gathering biographical data about him, as he remains a mysterious figure with no known parentage or history.
Themes in this chapter
Critique of Society and Materialism
Teufelsdröckh's toast to 'The Cause of the Poor' and his democratic sentiments reflect a critique of social inequality and materialism, as does the Editor's commentary on the public's indifference to the Professor's origins.
The Role of the Artist and Thinker
The chapter explores the enigmatic nature of the philosopher Teufelsdröckh, whose work on clothes emerges unexpectedly, highlighting the misunderstood and often invisible role of thinkers in society.
Characters to notice
- Diogenes Teufelsdröckh
The Professor is portrayed as a still, meditative man devoted to higher philosophies, who unexpectedly publishes a work on clothes. He is known for his enigmatic demeanor, his toast to the poor, and his habit of smoking and thinking in the coffeehouse.
- The Editor
The Editor recounts his personal acquaintance with Teufelsdröckh, describing their interactions and his efforts to gather biographical information about the Professor.
- Herr Hofrath Heuschrecke
Heuschrecke is mentioned as the one who is to furnish biographical data about Teufelsdröckh, though the Editor notes this is not his concern.
Key passages
“Lifting his huge tumbler of Gukguk, and for a moment lowering his tobacco-pipe, he stood up in full Coffeehouse (it was Zur Grünen Gans, the largest in Weissnichtwo, where all the Virtuosity, and nearly all the Intellect of the place assembled of an evening); and there, with low, soul-stirring tone, and the look truly of an angel, though whether of a white or of a black one might be dubious, proposed this toast: Die Sache der Armen in Gottes und Teufels Namen (The Cause of the Poor, in Heaven's name and ⸻'s)!”
Teufelsdröckh stood up in the coffeehouse, raised his glass, and with a solemn tone toasted 'The Cause of the Poor,' leaving his listeners uncertain whether his inspiration was divine or diabolical.
This moment captures Teufelsdröckh's radical sympathies and the ambiguous nature of his character.
“Wits spoke of him secretly as if he were a kind of Melchizedek, without father or mother of any kind; sometimes, with reference to his great historic and statistic knowledge, and the vivid way he had of expressing himself like an eyewitness of distant transactions and scenes, they called him the Ewige Jude, Everlasting, or as we say, Wandering Jew.”
People joked that Teufelsdröckh seemed to have no parents, like the biblical Melchizedek, and his detailed knowledge of history led them to call him the Wandering Jew.
This highlights the mystery surrounding Teufelsdröckh's origins and his almost timeless, omniscient quality.